I got in the car, tossed the bag in, and slammed the door—hard enough to wake Arsyn, who shot her head in my direction.
"Change of fvcking plans..." That's all I managed to say. My brain was a mess. I couldn't even think straight. How the hell did they end up in the same place as us? Of all the places—there are tons of other fvcking beaches out there. I even made sure to pick somewhere low-key, away from the usual crowd.
And now that we're closer to our destination? The chances of running into them again just skyrocketed.
This is not good.
Why do they always have to ruin everything for me?
"What are you talking about?" Arsyn asked, trying to piece it together.
"I just saw those nincompoops... and Kaizer fvcking Muntan groped my boobs!" I clenched my fists, the memory boiling my blood. The nerve of that jerk.
"Then what are you planning to do? Cancel this trip? Head back?" she asked. And honestly... that was one of the options in my head.
"I know what you're thinking," she cut in, giving me that knowing look before glancing at Lonia.
I already knew what was coming. Lonia's the opposite of us—sweet, sensitive, and somehow still the oldest. You wouldn't guess it, but she's also the biggest crybaby I've ever met.
"You know how excited she is for this trip, right?" Arsyn said, locking eyes with me.
We both turned when we heard Lonia tossing in her sleep. Arsyn smiled at me.
"Don't let them get to you. Do you really want them to ruin this for us? Do you want to cancel our trip because of them?"
She was right.
We barely get time like this—actual quality time. And I mean barely. I shouldn't let them take that from me. This is our day. We're gonna enjoy it—with or, better yet, without them.
Just then, we heard another rustle in the back.
"Give me back my pancakes... asdfghjkl," Lonia mumbled.
Arsyn and I looked at each other—then burst into laughter.
Lonia's sleeptalking? Of course. Classic Lonia.
And just like that, I was calming down. Thanks to them.
I'm seriously grateful for Arsyn. We have this connection where she just knows. She knows what to say, even when I don't want to admit I need it.
I was about to start the engine when a yawn hit me hard.
"I had my fair share of sleep," Arsyn said with a smile. "Guess it's your turn."
We switched seats. But just as I was about to doze off, my phone buzzed.
From: Unknown NumberDon't be happy, be worry.
It was like a magic word. One second I was drifting off, the next—my heart was pounding.
To: Unknown Number*Fvck you ;) *
That should do it.
I waited a few minutes for a reply, but nothing came. Still... that message? It unsettled me. Maybe they knew me... or maybe it was just some stupid prank.
"You look bothered. Something wrong?" I didn't even notice Lonia had woken up.
"Nah, I'm just tired." I smiled and got comfy.
"Wow, Sleeping Beauty finally woke up," Arsyn smirked at her.
Lonia just flopped back down.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Don't you think it's wrong for Sleeping Beauty to wake up without a prince?"
"Prince your face. Kends buy some snacks or something. Stuff your face with that."
Then came the crinkle of plastic bags... and I was out.
***
"Ahhh~!" Lonia squealed, diving onto one of the beds.
She'd insisted on a triple room with three twin beds—just so we could spend more time together. Drama queen, right?
I laid down beside her while Arsyn flopped onto the other bed. Just as I started to get comfy, Lonia popped back up.
"Just because I dove in doesn't mean we're sleeping yet. It's like 4 p.m., and the beach sounds like a great place to watch the sunset. So c'mon—get those bums up!" She tried pushing us.
"Shush, Lonia. I'm not in the mood," I groaned, stretching and sinking deeper into the bed.
"But—"
"Lonia, we're tired. Please," I scowled.
"What if we watch a movie and order food?" Arsyn offered, trying to chill her out.
"Hmm... sounds okay. Ooh, can we order pancakes? I dunno why, but I'm craving them." She looked genuinely confused, which made both of us burst into laughter.
"Why are you laughing? Stop it! You two look like witches," she pouted and crossed her arms.
I patted her head. "Yeah, yeah, we'll order some pancakes for our precious baby. Don't worry."
She beamed and hugged me tight. That's Lonia for you—always needing to be babied.
We watched a movie, food came, and somewhere along the way... I fell asleep.
"Mine!" Arsyn spiked the volleyball hard in my direction.
I missed it.
"Whoo! Another point for Team Arnia!" Lonia cheered.
I swear she just pulled that name outta Narnia.
Yeah, guess what we're doing?
Beach volleyball.
We'd been walking down the shore when Lonia saw a stall renting volleyballs. So now I'm out here losing to them. So fun.
Some people are watching us—scratch that, boys are straight-up gawking. But who can blame them? All three of us are hot, and we know it.
"Timeout!" I yelled, panting.
"Let's take a break," Arsyn said, and Lonia immediately started dragging us toward a beachfront restaurant.
"Let's eat first."
But fun never lasts, right?
Not long after we sat down, they showed up. Of all places, they had to pick this restaurant too.
"Bro, what took you so long?" Curtis asked Paige, who looked like he just woke up.
"Oh, some girl wanted to talk to me."
"Yeah, and you actually talked like a normal person?" Zeff scoffed.
"Hahaha, what can I say? I'm just that irresistible."
"Irresistible in insisting," Kaizer muttered, sticking out his tongue.
"Yeah, right. I don't even have to try. They throw themselves at me," Paige said smugly.
Everyone at their table laughed.
My fists clenched under the table.
Do they even hear themselves? Forcing someone to do something they don't want... that's not flirting. That's not funny.
That's fvcked up.
***
Later, after swimming and playing around, we collapsed on the sand. The waves became our lullaby. Lonia was snuggled into my side, and Arsyn had her head resting on my shoulder.
We watched the sun kiss the ocean goodnight.
If only things could go back to how they used to be—three girls, no drama, just living in the moment.
Lonia yawned.
"What a sleepyhead," Arsyn mumbled with her eyes closed.
"Funny coming from you," Lonia whispered, nuzzling into my neck.
"You guys go ahead. I'll catch up in a bit," I told them.
We all had a long, draining day. We deserved this break.
As they walked off, I stared after them.
And I wondered... why can't things go back to the way they were?
Maybe it's because some people took too much. Maybe it's because I can't forget—no matter how hard I try.
I didn't even realize the tears were falling until there were too many to hide.
"S-stop... stop it! I'm tired of this..." I whispered, wiping my face harshly. But it didn't help. They kept coming.
Why does everything have to be like this?
"Here."
I looked up.
A guy stood there, holding out a handkerchief. He looked oddly familiar.
Thick glasses. Thick brows. Braces. That uncool hairstyle.
Just looking at him made my chest ache. Was it normal for your heart to hurt like this? Was I dying?
"What's that for?" I asked, raising a brow, trying to look tough—even with tears streaming down my face.
He just chuckled. "For your tears."
Then he knelt and gently wiped them himself.
"Who are you?" I should've been freaking out, but instead... I was just really curious.
"Some people judge me for the things I did wrong. So now... I'm not really sure who I am anymore."
He took off his jacket and wrapped it around me.
Only then did I realize I was still just in my bra and shorts.
"Maybe you should rest. You're tired." He gave me a small smile and turned to walk away.
"Wait! Your—"
"Keep that," he said without turning back.
And then he walked off.
I watched him as he disappeared into the distance. There was something different about him.
They say that if someone walks away but still looks back... it means they'll come back into your life.
I stood there frozen, heart pounding.
Just as he was about to disappear from view...
He turned around.
He looked back.
And I cursed.